Apparatus for acidulating textile and other materials



aFume 26, 1928.

E. MOLINGHEN ET AL APPARATUS FOR ACIDULATING TEXTILE AND OTHER MATERIALSFiled Feb. 5 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l Why/ June 2, 1928., 1,674,786

E. MOLINGHEN ET AL APPARATUS FOR ACIDULATING TEXTILE AND OTHER MATERIALSFiled Feb. 5, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f zize Walla ,5? inf 7) es E.MOLINGHEN ET AL APPARATUS FOR ACIDULATING TEXTILE AND OTHER MATERIALSFiled Feb. 5, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 WW W\ fmz je Mal/717; in; $016557Patented June 26, 192%.

UNTTED STATES EMILE MOLINGHEN AND JULES GAY E, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

APPARATUS FOR ACIDULATING TEXTILE AND OTHER MATERIALS.

Application filed. February mersing the material in atank containing theacid solution by means of a pocketed drum; the purpose of such treatmentbeing to destroy the vegetable substances or fibers comprised in themateria In practice, the duly-acidulated material 1 is subjected to aso-called carbonizing treatment which consists in evaporating, by theaction of a current of dry, hot air, the water that dilutes the acidwhich has been intimately absorbed by the material. The acid isconcentrated in this way and acts to completely destroy the vegetablesubstances, but has little or no eifect upon the wool. Sulfuric acid isgenerally employed; and since this acid rapidly attacks the ordinarymetals, exceptinglead, it is important to reduce to the minimum theparts of themachine which come in contact with the acid bath.

lit is particularly advisable to avoid using .2 hinged or sliding doorsor similar devices for keeping the material under treatment in thepockets or compartments of the drum during the rotation of the latter;and with that end in view, the invention contemplates the employment ofa semi-cylindrical tank wherein the drum is arranged coaxially, thediameter of the tank being such that. its cylindrical internal wall isspaced a slight distance only from the drum wall and, in

consequence serves as a retaining wall for the contents of the drumpockets. The excess acid which the material absorbs on leaving the tankis eliminated byhydro extractors connected by a tray or chute with theupper part of the tank. The liquid expressed by these extractors iscollected in a vessel or reservoir into which leads the suction pipe ofa pump erence to the accompanying drawings illusthat delivers it to thecontainer for the acldulating mixture; such container being equippedwith supply pipes 5, 1926. Serial No. 86,297.

trating a construction of the machine according to the invention.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 shows the 'acidulating tank and hydroextractors in plan.

Figure 3 is a fragmental side elevation of Figure 2. v

The acidulating machine according to the invention essentially comprisesa semi-cylindrical tank 1 adapted to receive a drum 2 divided intocompartments 3 formed between partitions 3.- Tteferring to Figure 3, thedrum is co-axial with half the total number of compartments are immersedwhile the other half are outside the tank.

The material to be acidulated is introduced through a hopper 4: disposedabove the tank 1 filled with acidulating mixture to the level of the.mouth of an overflow pipe 7 (Figure 1). The material in the compartments3 of the drum 2 rotating intermittent- .lyor otherwise in the directionof the arrow K (Figure 3) is first immersed in the acidulating mixtureand then brought to the level of a flanged tray 27 along which it may betransferred to hydro-extractors 20 for freeing the said material fromany excess of acidulating solution.

The shaft 5 of the drum 2 is mounted on two suitable supports, 29 and isfitted with a pulley 30 or any other convenient actuating means forrotating the drum 2 as desired. When starting the operation, the tank 1is filled with acidulating mixture the tank 1, so that which rises tothelevel of the mouth of the overflow pipe 7 and is supplied to the saidtank from a mixing container 9 through the pipe 14. The said withconcentrated acid and diluting water through pipes 10 and 11respectively, the acid flowing by gravity from a: receptacle 15. Thepipes 10 and 11- are provided with valves 12 and-13 respectively.

The degree of dilution of the mixture in the mixing container 9 can bewatched by means of a test acidometer 18, the said tube beingincomdraw-01f pipe 16 container is supplied tube-jl'Z provided with an notmunication with the container through a" provided with a valve 32,

' and being fitted with an overflow pipe 28 leading to the overflow pipe19 of the mixer 9. I

The overflow pipes 19 and 7 open into an underground vessel or collector21 into Which open also the pipes 23 receiving the liquor from thehydro-extractors 20. This liquor is recovered by providing thepipe's '23with suitable filters 26.

Gwing to this arrangement the 'acidulated mixture may be drawn from thecollector vessel 21 by means of a suitable pump and delivered to themixing container 9 whence it is fed to the machine by gravity, asdescribed. The collector 21 has an'overflow pipe 24 leading to anysuitable point of discharge.

The pipe 14 is of course provided With-a regulating valve 31 for keepingthe acidulating mixture in the tank 1 level with the mamas mouth of thepipe 7. so that the amount of liquor overflowing through the said pipeis as small as possi What we claim is: A machine for acidulating textileor other materials, comprising a stationary, semi-cylindrical tank tocontain acidulating liquid, and a drum rotatably mounted in said tankand having its interior partitioned into com-- partments; thecylindrical Wall of the tank being coaxial with the axis of rotation ofthe drum and having'its inner surface disposed so Close to the partitionwalls ofthc drum' as to form a retaining wall for the material containedin the compartments.

In testimony whereof we a'tfix our signatures.

EMIILE MOLINGHEN: JULES GAYE.

